Shred Day 15: Half Way Day, a Bridge, and an Aquarium

Today is the halfway point of the 30 Day Shred Program, so today I did some reflecting.

NSV (non-scale victories):
Bought a size smaller shorts, ran 3 interval sprint workouts ----> 5.44 miles, kept up with the program while traveling to 3 different cities and visiting with family and friends, learned how to use strength training machines

Goals: 
To stay on track with the group through the end, avoid processed foods as much as possible, work harder to hit my custom macros each day, keep running

Today was kind of a wing-it-day until I'm back in line with the Shred group. I did a modified regular calorie day because I've been struggling to hit my daily calorie goals. Although I didn't do a workout, I did do a lot of walking and maybe some random yoga.

Here's what happened...

After breakfast my mom and I went downtown to walk across the Purple People Bridge.

This is my new top

I guess you could say that I have a thing for bridges, since I also crossed this one and this one. The best one might have been this one. But the PPB is the only I did yoga on!

Did you see my other pose on Instagram? ---> here

On the other side of the bridge, we met up with my aunt, cousin, and other cousin's daughter for a day at the Newport Aquarium.

Ever since my snorkeling adventures (here and here) I am really fish. I loved walking around today and seeing all the underwater life. I even touched some things!

Yep! Totally touched both of these!

The best part was walking across the Shark Bridge (are you surprised?)

Afterwards we had lunch and then my mom and I walked back across the PPB for some more downtown time.

My eats today:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with ham, bacon, pb&j rice cake, coffee

Lunch: chicken quesadilla, water, chips and salsa

Treat: 4 Berry Smoothie

Dinner: veggie burgers, salad, diet dew

Tell me one of your NSV!
Do you like walking/running/biking across bridges?

Shred Day 13 & 14: Facing Fears and a Zoo Loop

Every time I lace up my Mizunos for a sprint interval workout I am scared. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I was not able to run my sprints and did them all on the elliptical because my knee is cranky as hell. I never now how my knee is going to feel during or after the workout and or even if it will want to work!

Yesterday my knee felt good, so I went to the park near my mom's house to do my workout. First, I walked a 10 minute warmup on the walking path. I love paths like this because you don't have to worry about traffic.

I switched up my 30 day Shred days so that I would be able to eat ALL THE PIZZA at the pizza party my aunt was hosting later and then I switched up the workout from interval run to sprint intervals for my knee. The goal: 25 sprints using 20 run/20 walk intervals.

To make it even easier on my knee, I ran the sprints back and forth on the mulch section of the walking path. It was a perfect match for my knee. I felt good, my heart rate was up and I was definitely sweaty!

For my cool down, I walked another 15 minutes on the path back to my car. I used my Nike running app for the first time in months. It felt so good, but it feels even better to SEE my resulting route (I accidentally stopped it after my sprints).

On our way to my aunt's, my mom and I hit up Athleta and had ourselves a little shopping spree. I'm a bad influence on her...she bought four pair of pants! I walked away with this, this, this, and this.

When you get the girls in my family in one room, it's all about sharing stories. My cousins, aunts, mom and sister (would you believe she's the blond next me?? She is!) are a riot and I'm really lucky that they indulge in at least one LaRosa's pizza party when I'm home for a visit.

Today I was fasting so I skipped breakfast and ran some errands with my mom. She's planning to buy a new front door, so we stopped at Home Depot to check out the options. Then we picked up a birthday printer for her at Best Buy. I hope she likes it :)

Then we spent the day walking the loop at the Cincinnati Zoo. It was warm and sunny today, so we broke up the walk with some indoor exploration as well as shady spots with the big cats.

What I Ate the last two days ---> not the best choices, but I'm back on track tomorrow!

Do you have any fears when you workout?
Do you like to run on hard or soft surfaces?
When was the last time you were at the zoo? ----> my last year of teaching in Ohio, so over 9 years ago!

Shred Day 11 and 12: Friday Faves

I'm on the move again! Yesterday I flew from Orlando to Cincinnati to visit my Ohio family and friends. All this running around seemed like the perfect time to do a Friday Faves post.

Before leaving Florida, I used my dad's home gym system again. (affiliate link) I'm seriously loving this thing and all the exercises you can do with it. I did a 20 minute upper body workout and the bands were super easy to adjust for shoulders, biceps, and triceps.

Spending time with my dad and stepmom in Florida. A week in their new house was seriously relaxing!

This roller table. While my mom got an adjustment at the chiropractor, I spent 10 amazing minutes getting my spine decompressed and stabilized. Wow, it was relaxing.

Lunch at Lachey's with my mom. And by Lachey I mean Nick and Drew, former boy band members from Cincinnati. They opened this neighborhood sports bar in the Over The Rhine over a year ago.

Even though it was a hot, hot day in Cincy, we had fun doing our version of the mural walking tour. The murals have been going up all over the city since 2007 and total more than 100 now.

My eats on Regular calorie and Low calorie days:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with ham, pb&j rice cakes

Lunch: spicy grilled chicken and rice

Dinner: at the airport ---.> chicken sandwich (forgot picture)

Breakfast: scrambled eggs and bacon

Lunch: at Lachey's ---> grilled Mahi Mahi and tater tots

Dinner: veggie burgers and salad

Happy Friday friends!

Shred Day 10: Fasting and Pool Workouts

When I wake up on Fast Day.

Then the goal is to make it to 24 hours before breaking my fast. Today was a perfect day to get some pool time, so I asked my dad to drive me (which sounds really strange given I'm 45 years old!) and he happily did...in his golf cart.

The pool was crowded with pool walkers when I arrived and it was awesome. If I lived here I would totally join the pool walking group. Pool walking is a great low intensity cardio workout. When I wasn't lounging in the chair, I jumped in and joined the locals. I overheard some of the ladies talking about how they walk for 1-2 hours everyday. It's a great way to get in some walking miles without melting in the Florida heat. 

Inspired by all the pool walkers, I made up a pool workout on the spot. Every time I got in the water, I walked across the pool and back (which was probably 60 yards) multiple times. I'm guessing I walked about 2 miles in the pool today, plus a bunch of weightless leg exercises. Here's the workout:

Another bonus to pool time was stretching out my sore muscles in the water. They're telling me today that I hit my go hard workout goal.

My dad and stepmom hosted some friends for dinner at a Peruvian restaurant called Off The Hook. It's fun to see them with their friends and having a good time.

What I Ate:

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Obviously.

Breaking Fast: at about 20 hours, salad, watermelon, 1/2 diet dew

Dinner: popped corn (had a flavor between popcorn and peanuts), seafood chaufa (shrimp and fried rice) ---> it was very good! I ate all the shrimp and some of the rice.

Do you do pool workouts?
Ever tried Peruvian food?

Shred Day 9: It's All About Lifting

It was gym day around here today.

My stepmom dropped me off at the fitness center for my feast day workout. After my 10 minute warm up on the treadmill, it was all about the lifting.

I had one goal in mind...GO HARD. My 30 Day Shred coach told us "FEAST day is most effective when you go HARD for the workout."

Today's weights workout was broken into sections: shoulders, chest, quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Since I was all about embracing the weights, I challenged myself to grab the next higher weighted dumbbell than I'm used to.

10 pounds for military press

My dad helped me prepare for the workout, so I knew how to do all of the exercises. The upper body workout looked like this:

• ●  SHOULDERS
  
  • ○  Arm circles for warm up (small, medium, large for 60 seconds each)
    
  • ○  Military Press: 3 sets of 12­-15 reps 
    
  • ○  10 to 1s with 5,8, or 10 lb weights
    
  • ○  Dumbbell front raise or weight plate front raise: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps to failure
    
  • ○  Bent over lateral raise: 2 sets of 8-­10 reps to failure
    
  • ○  Face pulls with cable cross: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps to failure
    
• ●  CHEST:
  
  • ○  Dumbbell press: 12­-15 reps with lighter weight for warm up, then two working sets (higher weight) with 8­-10 reps to failure
    
  • ○  Dumbbell Flies: 12­-15 reps with lighter weight for warm up, then two working sets (higher weight) with 8­-10 reps to failure 
    

I felt pretty confident doing the upper body portion. My weights ranged from 8-15 pounds and I went for the maximum reps. I loved that although the fitness center is small (considering the size of the community), it does offer a wide range of dumbbells and hand weights.

12 pounds for chest press

My experience on leg machines goes back one whole week (if you don't count ACL rehab 25+ years ago!). Again I did my homework and received a helping hand on the equipment from a couple gentlemen doing their own workouts.

• ●  QUADS
  
  • ○  Leg extensions with low weight: 2 sets of 12­-15 reps
    
  • ○  Squats with Smith Machine or Regular Barbell Squats: 2 sets of 10 reps
    
  • ○  Goblet Squats with dummbell or kettlebell: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps to failure
    
  • ○  Leg extensions: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps to failure
    
• ●  HAMSTRINGS:
  
• ○  Leg curl with low weight: 2 sets of 12­-15 reps
  
• ○  Dumbbell Romainian Deadlift (bend slightly at the knee, keep back straight, bend
  through the hips, feel it pull through the hamstrings. 2 sets of 12­-15 reps
  
• ○  Plie Squats with dumbbell or kettlebell: 2 sets of 12­-15 reps
  ○  Leg curl: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps to failure
• ● GLUTES:
  

  • ○  Leg press: 2 sets of 8­-10 reps
    
  • ○  Use the machine for calf raises in between sets. Straighten your legs and push up with your toes to stimulate your calves. At least 2 sets of 10. 

After two gym workouts, I'm growing to like some of the machines: leg extension, leg curl, and standing calf machine. I still don't know how to use the Smith Machine though (and it looks scary).

My cool down was to walk back to the house. Even though it was all sun and I forgot my shades, it felt good to move my legs after all the lifting.

What I Ate on Feast Day:

Breakfast: polenta with honey, scrambled eggs with ham, coffee

Snack: grapes ---> I'm so loving these red grapes and could eat a whole bag (but that would be rude!)

Lunch: leftover eggs and polenta

Dinner: gluten free pizza

Dessert: gluten free brownie

Do you prep for your workouts?

DO you have a favorite grape? I used to love white, but lately I'm loving the red.